


The Natari Getaway

by Adas_Legend



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Bollywood, Disney World & Disneyland, F/M, Fluff, Food, Romance, Sibling Bonding, Vacation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-04-08 02:28:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19097899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adas_Legend/pseuds/Adas_Legend
Summary: Nate wants to take his new girlfriend Zari on a romantic getaway. But she's holding back from going all in due to some painful experiences. Will a little advice from Behrad help her open her heart?





	1. The Vacation Offer

**Author's Note:**

> Nate proposes a 9-day vacation to Disney World, but Zari's a bit anxious about going so deep into this new relationship.

“What? A vacay to Disney World? Are you serious?” Zari Tomaz exclaimed, bewildered at what her new history professor boyfriend Nate Heywood had just said. He'd come into her office at PalmerTech, saying that he had something important to tell her. She had certainly not expected him to come up with a romantic getaway. Usually, it was her best friend and boss Ray Palmer who suggested such cheesy ideas. Nate must have gotten brainwashed by him. 

“Why? What's so wrong with nine days at Disney World?” Nate replied, a smile full of surprise on his face. He clearly was astonished by Zari's response. They'd been dating for about two months, and although Zari wasn't one for saying “I love you” five times a day, all the kissing had given him the impression that she was totally into him. Ray had introduced the two of them to each other two years ago, and Nate had enjoyed every moment he had spent with Zari. He decided that he wanted to give her something special, a nice little break from all the stress she had as the chief software engineer for PalmerTech's cogeneration initiatives. He thought she'd love the offer; why was she all flustered about this?

Zari stammered, “U-um, I just d-don't think it's right to just cut loose like that while I'm in the middle of my career. This new project r-really means lot to Ray, and I don't want to let him down over it.” She immediately knew that was the lamest excuse ever. Everyone in the office knew how much she over-worked, and everyone was telling her to take a break. To be honest, a group trip to Disney with Nate, Ray, Sara, Behrad, and the rest sounded fine. But nine days alone with a guy she'd only known for two years and dated for two months? Seemed like too much investment for her. 

Nate put his hands on his hips and voiced what she was thinking about her excuse, “Oh come on, that's the lamest thing I've ever heard! This whole thing was Ray's idea. We need to go out, get some sun! I've got a studio booked for us at one of the Disney resorts. We'll have a great view of the lake and the parks are just a bus ride away!”

Zari's pulse sky-rocketed. Why was Nate moving so fast? Now he'd even booked a room for the two of them? At this rate, he'd be booking a wedding pavilion next week! Maybe she could try to gently nudge Nate towards a group trip. That would make things much easier for her and still allow Nate to get the good old Disney fun he wanted.

“Hey, look, why don't we just get Ray, Sara, Behrad, and the rest to come with us? I'm sure that would be a lot more fun,” Zari suggested, the anxiety in her voice ringing as loud as a bell. 

Nate took a couple of steps back. What was with Zari? She was the best girl he knew, the most headstrong woman in the office. But why was she so hesitant when it came to romance? Sure he loved everyone in their group of friends, and her brother Behrad was an adorable little bro to him. But he was really hoping this getaway would be a chance for just the two of them to bond, to get closer to each other. No project meetings for her, no history lectures for him. Just nine days living it up in the best resort in the world.

Or maybe he was not taking the right approach to this relationship. He meant well, but maybe he was moving too fast? Was she not interested in anything that serious? He decided to gently prod her to find out more.

Nate slowly said, “Hey, babe, am I moving too fast? I know right now, we're at the holding hands and kissing stage, but I just wanted something more, a bigger commitment. I just thought we could get to know each other some more, and I thought this getaway would be the best way to do it. Okay, not THAT kind of intimate, if that's what you're thinking-”

Zari was freaking out. Nate was talking in such lofty terms like “commitment” and “intimate”. She had never thought about getting that serious in anything, and Nate's arguments were driving her nuts. She just wanted him to shut up. So she then retorted back loudly, not even thinking about what she was saying.

“Hey, just stop! Just stop talking about all these commitments and intimacy! I just don't think there's a point in dedicating so much time into something that might just end tomorrow!” Zari could feel her blood pressure rising as she spat out those words.

Nate did a double take, face full of shock. Did Zari really view what they shared in that bad of a light? Was all this just a fling for her? His heart sunk. Surely, she couldn't possibly think that this was all just a game for him! He really enjoyed every single thing about her: her kindness; her sense of humor; her smooth, soft face; her long silky hair. He wanted her to know just how much she meant to him.

“Is that what you think this is? Just some kind of game for me?”

Zari was crushed to see Nate's heartbroken expression. She hadn't really expected him to react that strongly to what she had said. She wished she could take back what she said, but at the same time, she just did not have the guts to tell him why she was so hesitant to go all in, to surrender to passion. She took the only course of action which seemed logical now.

Zari stammered, “I-I gotta go. It's getting late now.” And with these words, she quickly turned her back, swept up her purse and laptop, and rushed out of her cubicle, determined to get as far away from this conversation as possible. She heard Nate call out her name in anguish, but she didn't turn back. She wasn't going to let this storm of emotions overwhelm her.


	2. Painful Memories from Kahndaq

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zari reflects on her tragic love life, and why she holds back from committing to Nate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to adapt the old Zari's backstory to modern times by using the country from the DC comics. Hope you like the back story!

As soon as she got home, Zari just jumped into bed and buried her face in the pillow, cursing under her breath with tears streaming down her face. She had no idea how to process all the emotions flowing through her now. Nate was one of the nicest guys she knew. Yet why was she so afraid of going all in with him? And why did she have to go and crush him like that by questioning his seriousness in this relationship?

But the truth was: her apprehension stemmed from something far worse than commitment-phobia. The last time she'd opened her heart to someone, she had burned her hands and lost so much in the process. Her mind wandered away from Nate and back to those terrible, terrible days.

It had been during her years as a college student back home in Kahndaq. She'd been an active blogger on the Internet against the oppressive regime there. The authorities had been unable to trace her activities to her, at first. Zari had been very careful not to interact with anyone too much, lest they deduce that she was a dissident and have her and her family pay the price.

And then, Samir Nassar came into her life. He was a charming hacker with a million-dollar smile and a certain gift for sarcastic digs at the establishment. Once she got to know him, she was completely floored by his idealism, shiny black hair, and chocolate-brown eyes. Every time she held Samir's hand, every time her lips met his, she could feel jolts of electricity surging her veins. She felt like she could take on the whole world and its injustices. The two went out on several dates together, and Zari had decided that once she had graduated, she was going to pop the big question of marriage to him. She eventually invited him to her place and introduced her to her parents and Behrad. He joked and shared anecdotes about his past with them, and he agreed to come back another time so that they could discuss Zari's and his future together.

But the next time Samir came back, it was not as a suitor for marriage. He came in sporting a shiny badge and a heavy firearm, leading a swarm of police officers, with guns in their hands and their sharp eyes searching for any signs of dissent. It turned out that Samir was actually an agent for the Kahndaqi secret police, searching for opponents of the state. He had used his previous visit to secretly probe her computer systems and found evidence of her posts against the authorities. Zari's parents managed to get her and Behrad to escape through the back door; she didn't know how she had managed to escape. The two of them had barely made it past a block when they heard gunshots ring out. 

And at that moment, Zari's world had fallen apart. 

She hugged her crying brother, frozen to the spot in despair. She had opened her heart and let someone take it over. In the middle of all the darkness in her life, she had surrendered to something bigger, hoped for something more than hiding in fear. And this was all it had gotten her: a broken heart, her parents shot dead, and a life on the run. For a split second, she felt that life as a fugitive was not life at all. She didn't move, wanting the officers to come and put a bullet in the back of her head. But then, she looked at Behrad's terrified and grief-stricken face and remembered that he needed to live his life too, and then she grabbed his hand and ran as far away as she could. 

Zari and Behrad somehow managed to get out of the country thanks to some underground contacts she had. They'd escaped to America as refugees and made a new life there. Ray, Sara, and all of their friends in Star City had opened their hearts to her and helped her and Behrad make a new life. It took time, but they slowly started to heal. But some wounds still remained. Despite the dictatorship in Kahndaq eventually falling, Zari had no desire to go back there, to revisit the painful memories of how her love had killed her family. She had vowed that she would never let herself succumb to such passion a second time; she wouldn't let anyone get in as deep as Samir had gone and hurt her ever again.

That's why when Ray set up her and Nate on a blind date, she was determined to keep things under control. She figured she'd just go as a courtesy, chat a bit with the guy, and then just never see him again. But then, Nate was just so charming that she felt somewhat drawn to him. Hearing him ramble about his historical research, his bromance with Ray, and his romantic misadventures with some girls named Wendy and Amaya had oddly enough endeared her to him. And the fact that he and Behrad had gotten together like a house on fire certainly helped things. She decided that she wanted to know him beyond that first date, and eventually, they got to that stage in a relationship where a guy and a girl madly kiss each other as if they have nothing better to do. 

But even in those crazy moments, Zari could feel a force pulling her back, a voice whispering inside her mind. It warned her not to get lost in this emotion, not to set herself up for heartbreak and pain again.

Of course, Nate was no Samir. He was a sweet fellow who wouldn't even hurt a fly. No way he posed a threat to her or Behrad. But somehow, Zari felt that something, anything could break what they shared. So it was better to just keep their relationship at a simple stage. No jumping across any boundaries and putting herself out there. But that didn't mean she didn't feel bad about hurting Nate the way she just had. She wished she could tell him that she did care for him, but she was afraid to face him. As she lay there, sobbing into her pillow, she felt a sharp nudge in her back and the bright, cheery voice of her brother, Behrad ringing out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read on for more; let me know what you think!


	3. Advice from the Bro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zari gets a comforting shoulder and some sound advice from her lovely brother. Maybe she'll finally surrender to love?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd try and flesh out Behrad and Zari's relationship here. I hope to see this happen in the actual show next season!

“Hey, Khaahar! What's with all the soap opera tears?” Behrad chuckled. Zari turned away from the pilow and rested her eyes on the cheery visage of her brother. It was clear that his job as an investment banker had exhausted him for the day, but he still had that sunny smile that could easily rival that of Ray, the eternal optimist. She immediately felt a lightening in her heart. Finally, someone she could talk to about what was going on in her mind. She wiped the tears off her face and sat up. She told him about everything that had transpired that day, about Nate's crazy plan for a Disney getaway. When she was done telling the tale, Behrad was fighting hard to suppress a massive guffaw. Zari was taken back; he was okay with this crazy idea? Or wait, did he know about this all along?

Guffawing like a whacko, Behrad rested his hand on Zari's shoulder, “I knew you'd think this was nuts, but I never knew that the idea of Disney World would make you cry. I guess my sister is just as much of an emotional fool as I thought!”

“You knew?! You knew Nate was planning this?” Zari deadpanned in disbelief.

“Well, he ran it by me first once Ray suggested it. I thought it would be a great break for both of you!”

“Are you out of your mind? What makes you think that a no-rules getaway is a good idea?”

Behrad calmed down, giving his sister a soft smile and replied, “Hey Z! I think you're taking this a bit too harshly. You need a break from everything you've been through lately! You know you like Nate. I know you like him. What's the matter?”

Zari bit her lip and closed her eyes as she replied, “I know Nate's a great guy, but I just don't think I should go all in into this relationship without thinking about the consequences. Don't you remember what happened the last time I got that deep with someone?”

Behrad's smile vanished in an instant. He covered his face with his hand. Even though it had been so long, the painful memories of Samir's betrayal and their parents' death still hurt his heart. For a couple of seconds he was silent, and then he uncovered his face. He smiled, but with more composure than before. He stroked his sister's hair and then pulled her into a tight hug.

He said, “Hey Z, I get why you're hurting so much. But you've got to let that go. There was no way you could have seen who Samir really was. He fooled us all. And you can't possibly think that Nate's going to hurt you that way.”

Zari stammered, “I-I know, but still! I'm scared. Scared that if I throw myself into this relationship, I won't be able to handle myself if something happens. I don't want to expose myself that much.”

Behrad slowly chuckled, “I hear you, sis. But that's the thing. There are times when you just have take the plunge when it comes to love. Plus, things are completely different now. You no longer have to deal with some psycho dictator who wants your head. Things are so much better for us now. Even if things don't turn out the way you expect with Nate, there's still so much more to look forward to here. You're a strong girl, and I know you can handle it.

“Plus, you've got to have more faith in people. Nate's a great guy, and I'm sure that he'll never hurt you. Just give him a chance, and I'm sure he won't let you down.”

Zari sat there in silence, still wrapped in the embrace of her brother. He'd made a lot of good points. There sure was a huge difference between letting your guard down while fighting against a ruthless dictator and letting it down with a dashing, soft history professor who loved everyone “so big”, as Nate loved to say. Plus, as cheesy as it sounded, now it seemed really sweet that Nate had planned such a big thing just for her. “Come on, Z, are you really going to crush that kind of guy?” a voice in her head scolded. 

Zari then pulled herself out of Behrad's arms, wiped her tears away with a smile, and said, “My little brother, always the best advisor. How do you always come up with such great ideas?”

Behrad chuckled and replied, “Well, it's really simple, sis. I love you, and I'm not going to let you sulk in misery. Now get out there and show Nate dog what you've got!”

Zari laughed and got up with a nod. Now she felt much better about the whole thing. The thought of a trip to Disney was now just as enchanting as it would be to any other girl. She whipped out her phone, scrolled to Nate's name in her contacts, and excitedly dialed him. Boy, did she have a lot to tell him. Maybe starting with a big apology for what she had said earlier that evening.

Nate's voice came through on the other end of the line, sounding a bit tired, sad, and worn out. He said, “Hey Z. Um, listen, I'm sorry if I pressured you. I just wanted-”

Zari cut him off and said, “No, no. Actually I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said earlier. I took some time to think about it, and actually, I think this trip is a great idea.”

On the other end, Nate leaned back in his chair in shock. What happened to Z? First, the idea of his Disney trip had practically given her a heart attack, now she was all in for it? What was up?

“Wait, are you serious? You don't have to feel like I'm pressuring you. We can take things easy.”

Zari shook her head, with a soft smile filling her face. She replied, “No, no. Trust me. I am all in for this. Nate. Now tell me, when do we go? I'm really looking forward to seeing that great lake you were talking about.”

Zari was not afraid anymore. She was going to take a chance on Nate. She hoped he had his game on because she was expecting nothing less than a blast from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for more!


	4. The Getaway Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate and Zari's getaway finally begins, and Zari's bowled over by the lengths Nate's willing to go to in order to make the whole experience magical.

Seven days later, the whole experience still felt surreal for Zari. She was actually on a getaway with her boyfriend, something she never imagined she would do when she came to the States. Once Nate realized that she was serious about going through with this whole thing, he was over the moon in excitement and then began going on and on about all the exciting things they were going to do in Orlando. He rattled off all his favorite attractions at the four main theme parks (she didn't even know there were that many), the beautiful resort they were going to stay at, and about some place called Disney Springs that she'd never heard of. It was a lot to pack in, but Zari still kept on listening on, enamored by just how excited her man was. 

They landed in Orlando in the late afternoon, and having only experienced the bustling metropolis of Star City since she'd been in America, Zari had to admit that she immediately took a fancy to the more touristy vibe of this city. As their Uber took them towards Disney's Boulder Ridge Villas resort, Zari wished she had ten pairs of eyes so that she could take in everything at once. The billboards advertising the parks, the beautiful hotels for the innumerable tourists here, and all the different kinds of cuisines the restaurants served: they all enthralled her.

Her excitement tripled once they reached the actual resort. She felt like she'd been transported to a pristine forest wonderland. Beautiful greenery adorned the environment, transporting her into the wild frontier that had enthralled the imagination of so many American explorers centuries ago. The buildings stood tall and powerful, built to resemble cabins of the old exploration era. The Star City folks could brag all they wanted about their hot night clubs and gleaming skyscrapers; this resort was truly magical. And her heart beat even faster once they got into the villa. Decorated to match the wilderness and exploration theme, the vibrant greens, reds, and browns of the sofas, chairs, and beds made her feel like an explorer out on a great adventure. That's what this was, after all: a romantic escapade, a chance to get closer to the guy who was creeping his way into her heart with every minute. Therefore, Zari was astonished when Nate confessed to needing to make a grocery run and told her to stay in the room. They had just started their rocking vacay, and he was already wandering off on his own? She had to tell him off.

“Hey what's up with you? I thought this whole shebang was for us to spend time together. Now you're sneaking off?” Zari snapped, voice full of irritation. 

Nate warmly smiled and replied, “Trust me, babe. It's all for you. You're gonna kiss me when I show you what I've got planned. Plus, you'll get the chance to look around the place. I'll be back before you know it!” And with that reassurance, he leaned in and gave her a tight hug. Zari felt the color rush into her cheeks as Nate tightly squeezed her With that smile and that passionate embrace, who could say no? With a nod, she let him go and then took a walk around the resort. 

The more she browsed around, the more she could feel the place transforming her. The magnificent boulders, the small waterfalls, and the towering pine trees all around left her gaping, mouth open in wonder. She strolled by the luxurious pool which could be seen from their villa, allowing the soothing, cold water run over her ankles and soles. She closed her eyes and allowed a strange vision to flood her brain: Nate and herself watching the sun set, lying back in the soothing coolness of the pool's waters. It was a sweet thought, but admittedly not something she had imagined herself doing a week ago. Looks like Disney was already starting to work its magic on her.

Zari then took some time to walk around inside the resort building. She had to admire the effort the builders had taken in making sure the interior matched the theme of the American wilderness. She made sure to take plenty of pictures of the various items on display and the totem poles in the lobby. She particularly fell in love with a pole composed of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Humphrey the Bear all stacked on top of each other; cute didn't even begin to describe it. 

Watching the other families' activities was delightful as well. One little kid was giggling while he was having a caricature of himself drawn by an artist. Another family of four looked lovely as they set out on a fishing expedition that the Disney staff had offered them. Zari felt herself beaming as she watched a beautiful couple bicycling together throughout the woods. Every single family she laid her eyes on, she imagined Nate and herself in their place. Imagining the two of them with kids felt especially funny, seeing as Nate's mother had been eager for them to have grandkids the last time Zari had met Nate's family. Zari had felt terribly embarrassed back then, but now, the idea of kids felt okay, maybe even beautiful. Two little bundles of joy, laughing and giggling in her arms. At that moment, surrounded by the wild beauty of this resort, everything felt perfect. Who knew life could be so serene, beautiful, and carefree?

When she got back to the room, her jaw dropped in disbelief; Nate had seemingly brought an entire pantry with him from the grocery store. The bags were loaded with everything from chicken and shrimp to spices and sugar, from pasta and noodles to pudding and cake dough. Was Nate trying to win the next season of MasterChef?

“What. On Earth. Is this. All About?” Zari intoned in astonishment.

Nate turned around with a grin and said, “Well, babe, I thought that I wouldn't just make this vacation a trip to Disney wonderland. Might as well make it a chance to show off my cooking. Mom's been teaching me a lot lately.”

Zari blushed, “Well, that's sweet of you. But why do you need to go that far? I'm sure there's a lot of awesome places outside as well.”

Nate chuckled, “True, but we don't always want to be surrounded by all that noise and the chit-chat of weird strangers, do we? Thought we could have dinner to ourselves once in a while. I've got all the stuff for Indian, Middle Eastern, Thai, Italian, you name it. By the time we're done here, you're only gonna want to eat from me, babe.”

Zari couldn't stop laughing. Nate was going so over the top with this whole romantic getaway thing. She was sure that all this cooking would probably take him hours, and she hated the thought of him working so hard. But his sheer exuberance was making it harder and harder for her to say “No”.

As soon as she settled down, she said, “Well, they say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Looks like they're going to have to reverse the genders on that very soon!” As she walked over to the counter top, she saw a sheet of paper lying there. On it was a list of items, scrawled in Nate's messy handwriting. Nate followed her eyes and was rushing to snatch the sheet with a panicked expression, but Zari beat him to the punch. 

She grabbed the paper and perused the list. It was a bunch of titles of Bollywood movies, some of which she'd heard from her friend at work Sanjay. They were both in the same Bollywood dance class Zari went to every Thursday, and he'd tried many cheesy pick-up lines which he cited as being from these flicks. Unfortunately for him, none of those tricks had worked, for she was here with Nate and not Sanjay. Nate's list included: “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge”, “Hum Tum”, “Three Idiots”, “Tiger Zinda Hai”, and “Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham” amongst others.

“What's a list of Bollywood flicks doing in your pocket?” Zari asked, intrigued. She'd never really pegged Nate as being someone who was into Bollywood.

Nate bent his head bashfully and replied, “Well, I heard about those Bollywood dance classes you keep taking and thought it would be nice to maybe have a movie marathon while we were here. At night, I imagine you'll be so tired. It'll just be you, me, some grub cooked by yours truly, and three hours of movie magic. I've heard that Bollywood romance and drama is a great recipe for hooking up.”

Zari's heart swelled, and a smile spread across her face. She knew Nate cared for her, but she never imagined it would be this much. How many guys were out there who would go to any lengths to make every day, every minute of their girlfriend's life magical? How could she possibly have doubted him? Zari then stepped aside and let Nate take charge for the rest of the evening. He started off his cooking bonanza by whipping up a scrumptious fettuccine pasta with pesto and Alfredo sauces, chicken, and peppers. All the greens, yellows, and reds on their plates were a feast for the eyes. As soon as Nate was done, the two of them jumped onto the huge bed in the master room with their food and put on the first movie on Nate's list, “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge”. Before she knew it, Zari was transported into a completely new world, savoring the taste of Nate's heavenly pasta on one hand and thoroughly engrossed in the romantic shenanigans of Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan on the other. 

Zari couldn't have asked for a better way to start the vacation. She couldn't wait for what Nate had planned next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave comments on what you think! The last chapter will be coming up soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think! 
> 
> Read on for more...


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